Need opinion on car situation. Gtfour Celica VS Wrx STi.

[TE4MFaint]

Hey guys, been pondering this for a while and looking for a little insight from some of you guys, perhaps even some STi previous/current owners.

I am the current owner of a 1994 Toyota Celica Gtfour. Body style is ST205. Right hand drive, very clean car, love it to pieces, however I am thinking about getting away from the RHD world and into a newer vehicle.
As the celica sits, its very clean, very stock, and still relatively quick sitting at the 265hp/torque mark. However there are a few things I want to clean up with the car, one being the suspension (sick of the Tein coilovers, too harsh of a ride) Timing belt needs to be done, interior pieces to replace because i want a cleaner looking interior (perfectionist), and then comes the modding of course to get a little more power out of the thing. So after its all said and done I throw another $3000 into the vehicle but at the end of the day its still going to be a RHD import that won`t be worth anymore than $8000 if I were to sell it right now I`d still fetch the same. This is what makes me want to sell it to get something newer, 4 doors, and even quicker again.

So is it truly worth dumping an extra $16,000 into a car that I will have to finance, make monthly payments yet again, for a 2005-2006 WRX STi, which will still be a reliable year round vehicle.

Thoughts?Opinions?

[anschutz_92]

Originally posted by TE4MFaint
So is it truly worth dumping an extra $16,000 into a car that I will have to finance, make monthly payments yet again, for a 2005-2006 WRX STi, which will still be a reliable year round vehicle.

Thoughts?Opinions?

Financially speaking you are better off with your gt4. Sure you can purchase a nice STi for ~24k, but you aren't guaranteed to have a reliable car. A 2006 STi is now out of warranty, and subaru's weren't the most reliable vehicles to begin with. A significant portion of EJ25's have been replaced under warranty, out of warranty you will be on the hook for the >$4000 replacement cost. You should also factor in maintenance on the subaru as unless you find a low milage example things like suspension and timing belt are going to be due to replacement soon.

STi isn't really a quick car anymore either. 300hp is nothing when a $32k mustang now has 412. If you're looking for speed, I believe the 3s-gte in your car is also a better engine than the ej25 for making decent power numbers reliably.

If you want a STi and it will make you happy though I say go for it. Cars are not an investment and should not be treated as such.

[Godfuader]

You already own the ST205, one of Japan's finest. Why voluntarily spend more on something that your not convinced on? If the STi is a car that you have wanted for while, then go for it. Otherwise you have reliable year-round vehicle with good power. Stay unique!

[A790]

Originally posted by TE4MFaint
Hey guys, been pondering this for a while and looking for a little insight from some of you guys, perhaps even some STi previous/current owners.

I am the current owner of a 1994 Toyota Celica Gtfour. Body style is ST205. Right hand drive, very clean car, love it to pieces, however I am thinking about getting away from the RHD world and into a newer vehicle.
As the celica sits, its very clean, very stock, and still relatively quick sitting at the 265hp/torque mark. However there are a few things I want to clean up with the car, one being the suspension (sick of the Tein coilovers, too harsh of a ride) Timing belt needs to be done, interior pieces to replace because i want a cleaner looking interior (perfectionist), and then comes the modding of course to get a little more power out of the thing. So after its all said and done I throw another $3000 into the vehicle but at the end of the day its still going to be a RHD import that won`t be worth anymore than $8000 if I were to sell it right now I`d still fetch the same. This is what makes me want to sell it to get something newer, 4 doors, and even quicker again.

So is it truly worth dumping an extra $16,000 into a car that I will have to finance, make monthly payments yet again, for a 2005-2006 WRX STi, which will still be a reliable year round vehicle.

Thoughts?Opinions?
Your car is beautiful and is something that I've love to own. Owning an older vehicle can be a hassle, but if your car is clean and in great shape, I'd keep it. It owes you nothing and continues to give.

Owning a newer car can be nice, but at the end of the day, look at what makes you happy. I'd trade car payments + newer car for a beautiful example Celica + no payments any day of the week.

If you DO decide to sell it PM me first.

[That.Guy.S30]

Ej257's in the 04-06 are very reliable. I dont know where they get this from. Anywhere from 07 and up is where the reliablity dropped.

Reliable. Yes but depends on how the last owner treated it. Same with any car. I've owned a few subarus. None of them have ever let me down.

If I were in your situation, I would definitly trade for something else. The RHD thing wares off pretty quick. I would look into other alternatives other than the STi though. Boy racer doesnt last that long either.

Legacy GT, hell yes.